


Perception Lies in The Eye of The Beholder

by JayTDawgzone9999



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Character Development, Character Study, Developing Friendships, Gen, Inner Dialogue, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, Reflection, Self-Reflection, Tsukasa begins to develop the ability to have friends, Weird Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTDawgzone9999/pseuds/JayTDawgzone9999
Summary: After Tsukasa is revived into the stone world a second time, a simple task becomes something more significant thanks to the company of a certain canine member of Ishigami Village.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Perception Lies in The Eye of The Beholder

**Author's Note:**

> "Holy cow this isn't fucked up porn" yeah, it happens, not that often but hey, sometimes a brain does what a brain does and different things come out because brains are weird like that.

It wasn't every day Tsukasa woke up in a freezer in the middle of a cave, eyes squinting from the sun peeking into the cave he had been left in after Hyouga made his true feelings about him known (feelings that nearly everyone else besides Tsukasa himself had been aware of, given Hyouga's obvious philosophical disagreements with Tsukasa,) but then, this was the stone world, Tsukasa reminded himself after he threw his clothes on and throngs of people gawked at him like he was a zoo animal. Nothing in the stone world was what anyone would call normal-Tsukasa had learned that years ago. Besides, it wasn't like he was an expert on "normal" anyways. 

As often as he felt inclined to do, Tsukasa decided to spend some time alone, making use of the pocket of unstructured time he found several days after his human popsicle experience to mend his old (and very comfortable) robe that he usually wore under his lion pelt. The noise of Ishigami Village and its inhabitants was barely tolerable and when Tsukasa's patience ran low, he knew better than to be around people. Mirai was alive and well and to be certain, Tsukasa was glad about it, but something had continued to bother him ever since he had been revived and he had yet to place a name to it. 

Tsukasa sighed, sliding a sewing needle through fabric when he heard a dog bark-not a large dog by any means, judging by the sound, the curious little creature making its way over to Tsukasa. 

"And who might you be?" Tsukasa bounced a rhetorical question off the small, fluffy canine who bounded into his lap, patting its head. 

Tsukasa could barely keep track of all the people in Ishigami Village (the only way he remembered the names of the people in his empire was by scratching them down on a piece of old tree bark,) let alone the animals, and so he had no idea what to call the dog. It was rather cute, though. And soft. Tsukasa was many things-a man full of mystery and eccentric quirks, among other things-but soft, definitely not. 

Perhaps that, Tsukasa thought as he pet the small white dog with one hand, was why he enjoyed the company of people who were. Mirai came to mind instantly-his kind, gentle sister-she was everything he wasn't and Tsukasa loved and cherished her with a strong sense of paternal affection. Their parents were worse than useless, so Tsukasa took on the role of caring for Mirai as if she were his own. Though it aged him beyond his years, Tsukasa never complained. He loved his sister-the most precious person to him in all the world-with all of his being. Tsukasa did not have friends-at least, not anyone who cared about him as much as he cared for them-outside his own family. 

He was indebted to Senku, a debt he could never repay, but to call the smaller man a friend-that would take more time. The feelings weighing on his heart were still too heavy, still too raw. Someday, Tsukasa thought-if time healed the pain enough-he would be honored to call Senku his friend. 

Of all the people who had been a part of Tsukasa's empire, none of them except for Minami cared to spend any more time with him than strictly necessary. Tsukasa, of course, did not have friends, so initially he assumed she might just be testing the waters to see if he wanted some female company. Women were alright, but as Tsukasa did not have friends, having anything more than that was out of the question. 

Over time, however, Tsukasa found Minami not just useful for her skills but also for offering him a supportive listening ear, always being eager to help him in any way he needed and reassuring him that the things his inner demons told him had no basis in reality. Such a person was a rare gift, one Tsukasa appreciated more than he could put into words. How did I become so fortunate-Tsukasa often asked himself this, though he had yet to find an answer. 

No matter. Tsukasa leaned back a little, sitting up more straight when he set his cloak down next to him after he finished mending it-it was much softer than the one he was wearing now so he looked forward to being able to wear it again. If there was one thing Tsukasa had a lot of in the stone world, it was time, and, hopefully, enough of it would heal his invisible wounds, allowing him to look forward to the future and all the excitement and wonder it held in store for everyone. 

The dog looked up at him with a curious look in its eyes, as if it would have asked him a question if it had the ability to speak. Tsukasa's small grin did not go unnoticed to the dog, who cocked its head to the side, as, after Tsukasa set the furry animal down next to him, he picked up his old robe, draping it over one shoulder. 

"I think it's about time we head back to the village, how does that sound?" 

The dog barked, its voice happy and energetic as Tsukasa watched it wag its tail. Life had not always treated Tsukasa with kindness, but now, perhaps, there was a chance to right the wrongs of the past, a chance to re-shape the world into a better place than the one Tsukasa had grown up in. And perhaps, Tsukasa thought, accompanied by the dog as the odd pair made their way back to Ishigami Village, perhaps it was a chance worth taking.


End file.
